Sabbath 2/6/16 Seventh Day Baptist Pastor Wray sermon “Healing at the Pool of Bethesda” John 5:1-9
At the Pool of Bethesda, healing was good for one person-the first one to get in the water. The scripture sets up the plight of the man looking for healing at the pool. The man was sick, had an infirmity, impotent, lacking in power and strength. The man was helpless and suffering from a sickly disease. This man represents all who are presently in need of healing. God heals everybody physically, mentally and emotionally. You can be just frustrated and God heals that too. God also heals relationships that need to be healed in our lives. You don’t have to be mad and fighting to have a breech in a relationship. Married couples sleep in same bed and can’t have decent conversations. People sit on same pew at church and can’t stand each other.
The name Bethesda means house of mercy and house of grace. You can compare this to the church. The Pool of Bethesda where this man was at, was a place of expected healing. We can be in a place of expected healing. We can stand in many healing prayer lines and it still looks like healing is not coming. It doesn’t matter how many healing services you’ve been in, don’t give up. If you keep hanging around the church, Jesus will show up and you will be healed.
The man in our text had two obstacles to his healing. He had limited opportunity and lack of support. The troubling of water by the angel let only the first person in the pool get healed. Then the man had no one to help him get into the pool. These were the obstacles the man at the pool had to face. Only the first person in line got healed. The truth is some of us have never been first in line for anything. Some are slow physically, some are slow of understanding and some are slow to believe or catch on. With us Christians, it doesn’t matter if we are first or last cause all we have to do is get in the presence of Jesus Christ!!!!
The man at the pool had been there for 38 years. This tells us that no matter how long you have been in it, God has not given up and will take care of you. He will heal you. The longevity of his sickness is what caught Jesus’ attention. Thirty eight years the angel had troubled the waters and the man could never be first but instead saw others get healed. In our situations, we individually are the next person in line! We are next in line, first in line and Jesus will heal us right on time! Jesus saw a lot sick people on the different porches/levels around the pool. He kept looking until He found the man on the 5th porch. Jesus knew the man had been there a long time. It doesn’t matter how long we been sick, unhappy or shut out from blessings. Jesus will make us whole. Jesus asked the man did he want to get well. When Jesus asked this, the man was more into talking about his disappointments then answering the question. Jesus could have said “I didn’t ask you all that”. When God tells us that He’s getting ready to bless us, don’t let our disappointments speak out above or over our faith.
In this case, Jesus ignored what the man said and told him to rise, get up and walk. Somebody here today needs deliverance. Take a step of faith and do what the Lord says. Rise, get up and walk! Jesus said that those that believe shall lay hands on the sick, speak in new tongues and cast out devils. Jesus said that we can be healed and set free. As we leave here today, go tell somebody in the name of Jesus to be healed. We will praise God for the deliverance. Jesus wants to meet each of us at our Pool of Bethesda. When He meets us, may our response be Hallelujah, Thank You Jesus! We will all be healed by Jesus!
AMEN
At the Pool of Bethesda, healing was good for one person-the first one to get in the water. The scripture sets up the plight of the man looking for healing at the pool. The man was sick, had an infirmity, impotent, lacking in power and strength. The man was helpless and suffering from a sickly disease. This man represents all who are presently in need of healing. God heals everybody physically, mentally and emotionally. You can be just frustrated and God heals that too. God also heals relationships that need to be healed in our lives. You don’t have to be mad and fighting to have a breech in a relationship. Married couples sleep in same bed and can’t have decent conversations. People sit on same pew at church and can’t stand each other.
The name Bethesda means house of mercy and house of grace. You can compare this to the church. The Pool of Bethesda where this man was at, was a place of expected healing. We can be in a place of expected healing. We can stand in many healing prayer lines and it still looks like healing is not coming. It doesn’t matter how many healing services you’ve been in, don’t give up. If you keep hanging around the church, Jesus will show up and you will be healed.
The man in our text had two obstacles to his healing. He had limited opportunity and lack of support. The troubling of water by the angel let only the first person in the pool get healed. Then the man had no one to help him get into the pool. These were the obstacles the man at the pool had to face. Only the first person in line got healed. The truth is some of us have never been first in line for anything. Some are slow physically, some are slow of understanding and some are slow to believe or catch on. With us Christians, it doesn’t matter if we are first or last cause all we have to do is get in the presence of Jesus Christ!!!!
The man at the pool had been there for 38 years. This tells us that no matter how long you have been in it, God has not given up and will take care of you. He will heal you. The longevity of his sickness is what caught Jesus’ attention. Thirty eight years the angel had troubled the waters and the man could never be first but instead saw others get healed. In our situations, we individually are the next person in line! We are next in line, first in line and Jesus will heal us right on time! Jesus saw a lot sick people on the different porches/levels around the pool. He kept looking until He found the man on the 5th porch. Jesus knew the man had been there a long time. It doesn’t matter how long we been sick, unhappy or shut out from blessings. Jesus will make us whole. Jesus asked the man did he want to get well. When Jesus asked this, the man was more into talking about his disappointments then answering the question. Jesus could have said “I didn’t ask you all that”. When God tells us that He’s getting ready to bless us, don’t let our disappointments speak out above or over our faith.
In this case, Jesus ignored what the man said and told him to rise, get up and walk. Somebody here today needs deliverance. Take a step of faith and do what the Lord says. Rise, get up and walk! Jesus said that those that believe shall lay hands on the sick, speak in new tongues and cast out devils. Jesus said that we can be healed and set free. As we leave here today, go tell somebody in the name of Jesus to be healed. We will praise God for the deliverance. Jesus wants to meet each of us at our Pool of Bethesda. When He meets us, may our response be Hallelujah, Thank You Jesus! We will all be healed by Jesus!
AMEN